Today Sportscenter ran a segment on Brian Campbell errors that had cost his team playoff games. It amused me, mostly because he's not a Red Wing. Seriously though, how many devastating errors does this guy have to make before coaches decide to never play him in OT or critical late-game situations? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything. His little gift-wrapped turnover led to a highlight reel goal ending OT during my first playoff game. If I ever met the man, I'd probably hug him. Thanks for the memories.
I didn't know it at the time, but apparently Nick Lidstrom is now leads the Wings all-time in playoff assists. The only downside to this is that it involved him surpassing my idol, Steve Yzerman. Still, good for him, and he played extremely well last night.
It wasn't until I watched my DVR recording of the game today that I realized just how well Ozzie played. I knew he made a bunch of key stops, but I was sitting close to the rafters and I need new glasses, so I didn't realize how strong some of them were. But for him, I don't think I would have enjoyed my first playoff experience nearly as much. I feel like every stop he makes is another slap to the faces of his critics. I feel like I use that expression too much. I should find a new one.
The other thing that stands out is how badly the Wings played for most of the game. It kills me to say this, but I'm not entirely sure they deserved to win the game. Their failure to play at the best of their ability scares me for two reasons. The first is the one that keeps me awake at all hours of the night and causes me to wake up with cold sweats when I do fall asleep. I keep asking myself and the Hockey Gods how long their luck can hold out. They've gotten by on secondary scoring and Johan Franzen so far, but it just feels like they're tempting fate. I'm sure this is a problem a lot of hockey teams/fans would love to have, but it terrifies me nonetheless. The other scary aspect of it is that I can only imagine that when/if they do actually decide to show up in full force for a game start to finish, it'll be a sight to see. We'll probably all go blind from daring to gaze upon their greatness, like what happens when you look at a solar eclipse.
In other news, I'll be spending today and tomorrow attempting to fix whatever's ailing Pavel Datsyuk, be it mental, physical, or divine. Somehow, some way, I'm going to will this man onto the scoreboard. And I can't help but believe that once he "breaks the seal," there's going to be a flood of epic proportions. I would not want to be the guy who draws him as a defensive assignment when he finally gets his issues back on track. It's a good way to make a fool of yourself.
Also, what is Drew Sharp doing writing this article? Is he trying to invoke the wrath of the Hockey Gods?
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